MagisBlogAutoTrendMagis

I shouldn't have worried. The C230 is no wussy econobox. (And Mercedes calls the 230 a sports coupe, not a hatchback, despite its sizable liftgate and rear shelf.) The C230's 1.8-liter in-line four is a DOHC, 16-valve aluminum engine that is supercharged to a decent 189 hp at 5,800 rpm. It has a lot of zip and a fast second gear in the six-speed manual shifter. Tests have pegged the car's 0-to-60-mph speed at a respectable 8-sec range. It features sporty handling and a ride quality that is surprisingly good for a small vehicle. Indeed, the C230 smoothes out bumps like a much larger vehicle but without losing the road-connected feel of a sporty coupe. It gets our nomination for the best-riding small car we have driven in recent memory.

There are very few bones to pick with the little Mercedes. The split fold-down rear seats are probably fine for kids and dogs but cramped for normal-sized adults. A windshield wiper would help with visibility out the hatchback in rain. Some reviewers question its $24,950 base price as being aggressive for a small sport coupe. But the C230 has been selling well probably because it gives refined features in a Mercedes package that won't break the bank.